Hwang Byung-kwan: Remembering unsung hero of Korea's wrestling
Hwang Byung-kwan (1919-52) may not be a widely recognized name in Korean wrestling today, but his story embodies the unwavering spirit of resilience and sportsmanship that resonates through the ages.
Hwang's athletic journey began with his studies at Meiji University in Tokyo during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period, where his exceptional power and skills earned him two Japanese wrestling championships in the middleweight and welterweight divisions plus the East-Asian Wrestling Championship in 1940 which brought him the nickname "Meiji Hwang."
After graduating from Meiji, Hwang returned to Korea in 1942, passionately dedicating himself as a wrestler and an instructor to promote the sport, a commitment that endured even during the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War.
His most remarkable achievement came at the 1948 London Olympics securing an admirable fifth-place finish in the wrestling welterweight division. This success marked the beginning of Korea's ascent in the world of wrestling.
Eventually, his dedication paved the way for the culmination of wrestler Chang Chang-sun’s silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and Yang Jeong-mo winning Korea’s first Olympic gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, followed by a total of 36 Olympic medals in the wrestling division up to 2020.
Unfortunately, the 2002 SBS TV series "Rustic Period" played a detrimental role in misrepresenting Hwang based on fiction, consequently distorting his true legacy and downplaying his pivotal role in the development of Korean sports. The TV drama seriously misled viewers about Hwang's life and badly damaged his reputation as a pioneer and the father of Korean amateur wrestling. Hwang's story in the drama is not based on fact or real events.
The recent book "Rustic Period, Late Father Hwang Byung-kwan" written by Hwang’s second son Shi-youp was based on verified facts and records about the true story of his father and rectifies the flawed portrayal, restoring his father's reputation as a pioneer and the father of Korean amateur wrestling.
His personal and legendary histories are detailed extensively in "The History of Korean Sports" special edition on wrestling, published in March 2000 by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. This publication dedicated 154 pages exclusively to Hwang. His achievements are also well-documented in various articles and academic research papers, such as "Hwang Byung-kwan’s Participation in the 1948 London Olympics" published in the Journal of Sports and Leisure Studies in November 2013 by Jo Jun-ho, a professor at Korea National Sport University.
Hwang inherited his athletic talents from his father, Hwang Wook (1895-1949?), who was an English major at Rikkyo University in Japan. Hwang Wook served as an English teacher at Yangjeong High School in Seoul from 1927 to 1938. During his tenure, he had the privilege of mentoring Sohn Kee-chung (1912-2002), an esteemed gold medalist in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, at which he competed under a Japanese name.
Following Sohn's remarkable victory, the elder Hwang arranged the marathoner's school uniform from Seoul as per the athlete's request and participated in the welcome ceremonies in Japan.
Hwang Wook also played a pivotal role in founding the Mountain Club at his high school and introduced modern rock-climbing skills learned at Rikkyo University to foster a sense of national spirit. As a scholar and alpinist, he excelled in various sports, including skiing and tennis.
Hwang Wook himself later delved into the field of archaeology and held the esteemed position of director at the National Museum of Pyongyang following Korea's liberation from the Japanese colonial regime. Hwang Wook might have had a good relationship with my father, Choe Nam-ju (1905-1980), who was a pioneer of Korean archaeology.
Hwang Byung-kwan's profound influence on Korea's wrestling landscape deserves to be recognized and celebrated without the distortions of biased narratives. We should rightfully honor his legacy and acknowledge his enduring impact on the development of sports in Korea.
Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.